


What We Need

by jinxes (bobbemorse)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Allison Lives, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Holidays, F/F, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 10:29:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4663266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobbemorse/pseuds/jinxes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For once, everything falls into place easily. It's an accomplishment, really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What We Need

They really just kind of fall into it. 

Lydia is preoccupied with graduating a year early and tends to bury herself in work, so Allison is being the best friend she can be and often just stays because she's way too comfortable with her shoulder brushing Lydia's on her bed.  
Malia turns up after Lydia noticed her standing in front of her locker, staring at it like she feels the need to punch it as hard as she can and exhaling loudly and very annoyed. 

Allison finds that Malia is a pleasant presence to have in the room because she is so used to hearing everything in amplified volume that doesn't really make any noises that disturb the comfortable silence Allison and Lydia are so used to.  
Just occasionally she throws down her markers and buries her head in her hands in frustration but with time she manages to do that less and less and when Lydia rolls her eyes she glowers for just a few seconds. 

Of course Allison knows that Lydia doesn't actually mind that much when she slips off the bed, lying next to Malia her hair draped over Malia's shoulder when she throws her head around to look at the task Malia is having difficulties with.  
It makes Allison smile in a way that wakes something in her that has been feeling numbed down since Scott. 

*

In hindsight Lydia observes that it started with those little things they refused to talk about in the beginning. 

When she is so absorbed in her studies and is pulled out of her thoughts by the smell of the lasagna Allison carries, Malia coming into the room after her and they all fall asleep curled around each other on Lydia's bed, they don't question it in the morning.  
When Allison slings her arm around Malia's legs and Lydia kisses her on the top of her head when she falls asleep, they never mention it.

When Malia squeezes her hand and slides her fingers through Lydia's for just a few fleeting moments, Lydia smiles but averts her eyes.  
When Allison jumps on Malia's back in a moment of absolute glee because Kira scored a goal and Malia looks back at her over her shoulder which causes Allison's nose to slide over Malia's cheek, Lydia sees Allison giggle into her ear but she also sees Malia srunching her nose in confusion.  
When Lydia slides her hands through Allison's hair and reaches her face and doesn't stop before her lips, Allison sighs against her fingertips but she's still pretending there isn't anything odd about it.

So, Lydia decides to say it first because both of the others are unbelievably stubborn.  
(Although sometimes Allison opens her mouth as if she wants to say something and normally she is so incredibly brave but this seems to scare her and that shuts Lydia up for quite some time.)

She's standing in front of Allison's bed at the beginning of summer's break, looking down at her two girls curled up together, hands on her hips.  
"So," she says and is met by two pairs of brown eyes.  
"We're in a relationship, aren't we?" Malia furrows her brow and Allison's eyebrows shoot up, her dimples showing when she laughs curtly and insecure, dropping her head onto her shoulder. 

"You mean polyamory," Malia said, her forehead smooth now, with an expression of curiosity in her eyes that makes Lydia simultaneously smile and raise an eyebrow in question. Malia shrugs:  
"I googled it." Allison laughs quietly and looks at her with beaming eyes.  
"You googled it?" Her eyebrows do that little dance they do when she's joking around. 

Malia doesn't laugh.  
"Yeah," she says very matter of factly and _of course_ she googled it.  
"I wanted to know if it's possible." Allison looks taken aback because she obviously doesn't get it yet.  
"Why?" Malia looks at her, determined, and Lydia is pretty sure that any other person wouldn't hold her gaze but Allison does.

"I felt something really weird. And new." She doesn't take her eyes off of Allison. If Lydia sees it right, Allison's holding her breath.  
"It was something like Kira always describes in her rants about Scott." Lydia shoots Allison a sharp look but she seems fine.  
"The problem was that I felt it for two people. And I didn't know if that was... a thing." 

There are two seconds of silence before Allison looks up at Lydia and back to Malia again.  
Her lips part in a smile, sweet and overjoyed, getting wide until she looks so incredibly happy that it makes Lydia's heart skip a beat.  
"It's a thing for me."

*

"This is weird," Malia says, while laying inbetween the two girls that can make her head spin even though she still hasn't been able to figure out how or why it happens. She sees Lydia rolling her eyes but she sits up and smiles down at Malia and Allison mischievously.  
"I think I know what we need."

*

It takes a week for them to arrange everything but all of the sudden Malia sits in an actual plane and is pressed into her seat because they're taking off and she feels like her heart is leaping out of her chest.  
Allison and Lydia insisted on her taking the window seat because they've both been on a plane before, so now her hand is linked with Lydia's while she's looking outside not able to tear herself away or school her ridiculously wide smile into a neutral expression. 

Flying is _exhilirating_. 

When they're properly in the air she looks back at the two others who aren't sparing the sky outside a second glance. Lydia is still holding her hand loosely while holding a book in the other hand and Allison is listening to music, her head thrown back and her hand on Lydia's knee.  
Malia grabs onto Lydia's hand tighter.

*

Lydia slides her sunglasses down her nose with one finger and eyes her surroundings. Allison smiles at the perfectly arched eyebrow. She throws an arm around Lydia's shoulders and nudged her cheek with her nose.  
"Cheer up! This was your idea, remember?" When Lydia turns her hed, undoubtedly to glare Allison giggles and turns away to grab Malia's hand and walk with her up the stairs to the entrance of the hotel. 

She is in a good mood today.  
While Lydia is critically sizing up the tent from outside, Allison sits down on her sleeping bag, the one in the middle, and opens her bag to take out the map her father got her for the trip.  
She spreads it out and marks the location with her green highlighter when Malia comes up behind her and lays her head on Allison's shoulder.

Her arm snakes its way around Allison's side so she can put her finger on the green cross.  
"So, how much can you two handle?" Allison's eyebrows shoot up when she turns her head so she can face Malia. Malia eyes her for three seconds and shrugs.  
"I mean, I'm probably the one best equipped to walk around here." 

The challenge in that statement makes Allison's skin prickle even though she knows it's true. Doesn't mean she can't try to prove Malia wrong, though.  
"Maybe we can handle more than you realize," she says and uses the few beats of silence Malia needs to think of an answer to kiss her, leaving her own lips tingeling. It seems to be good enough for Malia, too, judging by the way she settles back down behind Allison.

Lydia crawls in and sits down at the opposite end of the map, looking at them with a sigh.  
"How the hell did you two convince me to go to Utah of all places?" Allison looks up at her and tries her best to smile innocently and conceal here excitement because it's been ages since she made a camping trip and she misses it. 

She's never been overly fond of camping as a kid but it's kind of different when you can choose to do it on your own.  
"It's gonna be fun, Lydia," she says and when Lydia doesn't look convinced Malia says.  
"If you dont enjoy walking, there are other parts you could find relaxing." 

The corners of Lydia's mouth quirk up when she pushes the map aside. 

*

The first day is a disaster for her feet. 

Lydia isn't into sports. Of any kind, really. She isn't inactive (that's pretty impossible when you have to keep up with werewolves and werecoyotes and freaking kanimas) but she has yet to find a sport she actually _enjoys_.  
Not like Allison who says that jogging and archery clears her head or Malia who gets frustrated when she can't release pent up energy by going for a run or lifting weights or kicking the hell out of a punching bag. 

The worst thing is that after they return to the campingground after six hours of walking Allison and Malia actually look happy.  
"It's beautiful," Allison says with a gleam in her eyes while they're sitting at one of the cratches for dinner. 

And Lydia has to admit that it is. Beautiful.  
She's sure that as soon as her legs stop hurting she can appreciate it, too.  
"I haven't felt this tired in a long time," Malia says in a satisfied voice and a full mouth.  
"Me neither," Lydia says. Allison cocks her head to the side and a concerned expression sneaks itself onto her face.

"If it's really so much torment for you we can stop," she says.  
"I guess we could shorten the route," Mali adds and their concern throws Lydia off, rattles her, because she isn't used to this much attention to her needs anymore. Suddenly the pain in her legs doesn't seem so bad anymore. 

Allison doesn't seem to need an answer. Instead she pulls out her map.  
"Look at this. If we take the shuttle tomorrow..." 

*

The night after day three there's a thunderstorm.  
Malia wakes up first, her ears picking it up miles away. She lies awake for half an hour before the first loud booming sound of thunder wakes Allison who sits up abruptly and almost hits Malia in the stomach. Malia grabs her arm, as gently as she manages, and Allison turns around, sleepy confusion on her face.  
It's kind of adorable.

"It's a thunderstorm," Malia whispers and Allison nods, frees her arm and starts rubbing her eyes.  
"Where's the rain?" She asks, obviously still in a haze. Her arm is wrapped around Malia's waist when she lays back down.  
"It's gonna come," Malia says with utmost certainty and smiles at the thought of it. Every reminder that nature is impregnable makes something under her skin prickle, makes her feel like she's part of it. Like she can unite coyote and human.

"It doesn't have to," Lydia says into the dark.  
"Some thunderstorms just come dry." Allison giggles under her breath.  
"That sounds incredibly wrong." Malia can practically feel Lydia rolling her eyes and smiling fondly. It's a nice feeling, warm and calm. Secure.  
Everything Malia has been craving since transforming back with a storm in her soul.

*

Lydia has always picked up on things quick.  
It's one of the traits Allison would use first when describing her. Accordingly, she isn't really surprised when Lydia can easily keep up with them after five days even though she's still lacking some of the physical fitness. 

The thought makes her smile while she watches Malia and Lydia bicker because _Malia, if you do it this way it's so much more effective_ but _I don't want to do it effectively, I just want to get my luggage to the check in point._

They're pretty ridiculous.  
They also manage to make Allison forget about literally anyone else in the room.  
So maybe it's worth it.


End file.
